The internet has transformed how we spend our cash; all it takes is a tap of a screen to buy exotic items from the furthest corners of the world — or to sound out shopping destinations, both real and virtual, with reviews from Google, Facebook and TripAdvisor. As long as you have a smartphone in your pocket or a laptop on your knee, there’s literally no excuse for not being able to find awesome places to spend, spend, spend.

But although finding places which provide great service and products might be easy, what if you’d prefer to support businesses which care about ethical issues such as the environment, animal rights and carbon footprint? This is where Conscious Me steps in — a website that directs you towards the genuinely 'good' shops and services around you, regardless of whether you’re after a meal, a new pair of trainers or a savings account.

And guess what — the first city to experience the Conscious Me revolution is London.

Alphr.com spoke to Conscious Me’s founders Sean Nelson and Rob Baldwin. Baldwin is a marine biologist, Nelson the owner of a low-impact camping business — and somehow London always seemed the perfect place to test-drive their brainchild: “There is a wealth of inspiring people, organisations and businesses in our capital, with values beyond making money at the core of their existence,” explains Nelson.

So, how does Conscious Me define a business as being ‘good’? “We look very closely at the environmental, social and ethical credentials of a given business and consider this against our Conscious criteria,” Nelson explained. “Making a conscious choice means considering the sustainability and ethics of a product or service, before you buy. It is an informed choice, which is made in order to benefit people, communities and/or the environment, promoting positive change, either locally or globally.“

Interested in reading more about Conscious Me? Read Alphr.com’s full-length feature about the ethical shopping service.